In the first of November of 1755, a massive earthquake hit Lisbon. It was estimated intensity between 8.9 and 9.1 Richter (Japan in 2011 was 9.0 and Indonesia in 2004 was 9.1 scale).
It was the All Saints Day, a religious catholic holiday and big percentage of population was attending mass at the church. It was estimated up to 40.000 people lost their life on this tragic event, on a population of 200.000 people.
After the big earthquake, approx 40min later, a big tsunami came from the ocean. The tsunami was so huge that waves were felt in Martinique Caribbean and Barbados and hit with 20 metres (66 ft).
Following the earthquake and the tsunami, the city was burning for several days, mostly because of the candles from the churches.
Today is still visible the destruction of the earthquake on the city. You can see a reconstruction of this big disaster on the following movie below, showing what happened to the city:
The following movie will show you more detailed the effect of the Tsunami in Europe and across the Atlantic Ocean, released by the US NWS Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC):
And finally, if you are interested in this subject, in more detail, you can see the video released and produced by the Smithsonian Channel, that will go deeper and more detailed information about what happened back here in Lisbon in 1755:
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Gonzalo
Founder/Owner of The Lisbon Guide, one of the major blog references in Portugal, established in 2014 and receiving every year 250.000 visitors from all over the world, looking to provide the best experiences in Portugal. In partnership with Portugal Magik for all private tours and transfers across Portugal, Gonzalo loves a good seafood meal at Monte Mar Cascais, and all from Michelin Chef Avillez. Favorite Hotel in Lisbon/Portugal, Penha Longa Resort by Ritz Carlton.
For over 15 years, Gonzalo have been helping thousands of travelers yearly to plan a perfect trip to Portugal. Based in Lisbon/Cascais and working in this field for over 20 years, with multiple ongoing projects. Also an avid TripAdvisor user level 6 with more than 300.000 readers worldwide.
Many years working also as a Private Guide of Lisbon, Sintra, Fatima, Porto, Douro Valley, Evora, and other locations in Portugal.
